


(Re)cycle

by cyanspade



Category: Kissed By the Baddest Bidder, Voltage Inc - Fandom, Voltage Inc. - All Media Types, スイートルームで悪戯なキス | Kissed By the Baddest Bidder
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Mentions of Violence, Reunions, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-02
Updated: 2017-01-02
Packaged: 2018-09-14 05:59:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9165217
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cyanspade/pseuds/cyanspade
Summary: Or, alternatively titled, How Many Times Do I Have to See You Until You Get Tired of MeSomehow, the universe always found a way to bring them together, only to separate them again. So, Eisuke does what he does best—defy the damn universe.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This idea has actually been floating in my head for a while. That, or maybe I’m a sucker for AU’s like these lmaoo. I think I had way too much fun bullying Eisuke here ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) . He’s a fun character to write, that’s for sure.

* * *

I.

               The first time he saw her, he remembers being in an open, barren field.

               He was starving; the famine that hit the land was no short of a disaster. He could barely recall when rain last hit the now-dry soil of his homeland. Young boys like him would always be sent to go out and look for any sign of life, or die trying.

               In his mind, he was already dead at the rate he was going. 

               The last of his crumbly bread was long gone, and he was already collapsed on the ground, waiting for whatever god to take him away from this wretch of a world. In his next life, he vowed not to be as powerless as he was. 

              He gave his final prayers before finally closing his eyes—

              “Here, you have to eat this,” a gentle female voice said, nudging him lightly. 

               He couldn’t process the girl’s presence until he felt something sweet on his mouth. A strawberry, he mused, was extremely hard to come by in these times. Before he could think further, his hunger overcame his rationality, and the fruit was gone in seconds.

               “I, uh, saw you fainted on the way, so I thought you might’ve needed something to eat.”

               When he turned to get a good look at his benefactor, he thought he had died and gone to heaven.

                _Since this must be what angels look like._

II.

               The next time he saw her was a painful memory.

              The Witch Trials were, in his opinion, an idiotic thing. Anything that the kingdom could not understand, they deemed as sorcery. Young girls from all over were executed for no other reason than pure ignorance.

               —which was all pretty ironic considering he, as a magistrate, had a duty to judge these ‘witches’ and watch them burn alive on a stake. However, no matter how much he hated his job, he was praised by his countrymen for his responsibility. He wouldn’t have it any other way because, _finally_ , he was someone important. 

               This life, surely, was better than the last one, he thought. 

               “Sire, it is now time for the execution.” Soryu, the ever-dutiful knight, gestured to the wooden stake at the middle of the town square. The crowd that gathered was itching to see the flames, but Eisuke was waiting for the whole affair to end quickly.

               When he finally made it to the stake, Eisuke silently observed the somber woman bound to it. During the whole ordeal, she had yet to raise her head or to merely speak. Even in the trials, her head was perpetually lowered, and for some reason, that bothered him slightly.       

               “You, show your face, and say your last words.” He held the flaming torch firmly, ready to drop it as soon as the ceremony ended.

               When she did look up to face him, he froze.  

                _It can’t be. Impossible—_

               “…it’s nice to see you again,” she sadly greeted.

               The memories of another lifetime long past flooded his mind. He saw a boy, dying of starvation in the middle of a desolate field, and a girl, in her benevolence, feeding him her last strawberry just so he could live.

               In front of Eisuke, the very same girl stood—or rather, was tied to the stake.

               He knew what he had to do.

               When he dropped the torch away from the stake, the townspeople grew aghast at his blasphemous actions. The knights prepared to apprehend him immediately, but the flames were slowing them down considerably. He used this chance to untie the ropes binding her.

               “Why are you doing this?” she asked him frantically.

               Why indeed. There was nothing to be gained from helping her. He would be executed for treason and blasphemy, and everything he worked for would be in vain.

               Nevertheless, an unidentifiable part in him already knew the answer.

               “Because the strawberry you gave me back then was delicious.”

III.

               Fate, as usual, still loved to screw with him.

               Being on a ship as grand as the RMS Titanic meant nothing to him. He was an unhappy socialite trapped in an inescapable cycle of blindly obeying his family’s unreasonable wishes. The moment the ship reached its destination, he would immediately be sent off to whoever his parents chose as his fiancé. 

              His meaningless life wasn’t even his own. 

               He stood against the cold railing of the ship, and he could only think of how his problems would end if he jumped off the ledge. It would be such a simple, yet clean way to end things. His next life, hopefully, wouldn’t let him down again.

               Just as he was about to climb, a slender hand grabbed him by the arm. 

               “Whoa, there! That’s pretty dangerous, you know?” Of course. He recognized that voice anywhere. It was _her_.

               “What I do is none of your business. Just leave me alone,” he coldly said.

               “If you jump, I’ll just go in after you.”     

               “Ridiculous. You’d die from the fall alone.”

               “Just like you did for me back then.”       

               He didn’t have an answer to that. They both stared each other before she broke the silence.

               “Would you like to start over?” She offered him her hand, as if to give a handshake.

               Looking at her, he thought maybe this life wouldn’t be totally miserable. The universe probably had a reason for making the two of them meet again. He would actually get to know her for real, and for the first time in a long time, he was uncharacteristically happy at the thought.

               He took a deep breath before returning her handshake.

               “I’m Eisuke Ichinomiya.”

               None of them could predict, however, that their voyage was destined for tragedy. He found out the hard way when he let go of her numb hands, letting her lifeless body sink into the abyss of the ocean.

               Next time, he _had_ to get it right. 

              He’d damn well fight destiny, if that’s what he had to do.

IV.

               By this time, he was convinced that he was some god’s cosmic plaything.

               The world had plunged into utter chaos, and every country was at each other’s necks. War was painted across the globe, and he had no choice but to fight for his country, right or wrong. From an aspiring young businessman, he became an unlucky soldier on the battlefield. 

               Currently, he found himself sprawled on a shabby cot inside a shabbier hospital tent. Apparently, some asshole managed to put a bullet in his shoulder. _I’ll shoot the bastard if I ever see him again._

               His right arm hurt like hell, and the constant moaning and groaning of the other injured soldiers didn’t help either. He could sense everything was on a strict budget. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be so damn cramped in the tent, and a nurse probably would’ve fixed him up already.

               “Sorry to keep you waiting. As you can see, we’re kind of in a pinch.”

               At the sight of her, it took all of his willpower not to burst. She was in front of him, and she was safe. That was all that mattered to him at the moment.

_You’re alive._

               “The bullet in my arm,” he uttered, though his voice held a poorly-hidden elation. _You’re really here._

               “All right, all right,” she repeated.  “Hold still, please. This might hurt a bit.” She prepared the antiseptic and tweezers almost methodically.

               “Don’t you have any anesthesia?”

               “Sadly, we can only use it for dying patients and the like. Budget cuts and all that.” She dabbed the antiseptic on his wound, in hopes the numbing effect would help lessen the pain if only slightly.

               “Are you serious?” He was already wincing.

               “It helps if you talk. That way, you won’t focus on the pain. Just keep your eyes on me and talk about something— _anything_.”

               Easier said than done, but he complied anyway. The sooner the bullet was out, the better. Besides, he definitely had things he wanted to say to her; chances like these were often cruelly stolen away from him.

               “…Tell me. Why did you do that back then?”

               “Do what?”

               “Let yourself freeze to death in the ocean because you wanted to give me space on the raft.”

               “I think you already know why.” She had already found the bullet, and she was using her tweezers to try and extract it carefully. The waves of pain only grew worse, but he couldn’t care less about it.

               “Even so, it wasn’t worth it. Everything is meaningless if you’re—“ His voice faded slightly.

               “If I’m…?” Finally, she removed the bullet, and placed it on a tray. He didn’t seem to mind the gore one bit. After gingerly applying antiseptic, she began to bandage his arm to stop the bleeding.

              “Never mind. Just promise me you’ll be safe.”

               “Only if you promise to be safe, too.”

               He was silent for a while before giving his reply. “…fine.” 

                _Liar._

               “There! Good as new,” she lightly patted his newly-bandaged arm. “Be sure to take care of it, okay?”

               “Mm,” he replied noncommittally. Even amidst this blasted war, she was still smiling.

              Before everything went to hell, the last thing he thought of was how sorry he was that he lied to her. 

              All of a sudden, the hospital tent was under fire, and without thinking, he tackled her to the ground to shield her from the explosions. No matter how much she thrashed against him, he wouldn’t let go.  

              He only found solace in the fact that at least, she wouldn’t be able to feel the burning gunpowder on her skin.

V.

               The world had a funny way of giving him everything but the thing he wanted the most.

               In this life, he was a born winner. Being the head of a billion-dollar conglomerate, he practically had the power to do anything he desired now. No more starvation, trials, tragedies, or war. Everything was in its rightful place.

               Except that, well, _she_ wasn’t there with him.

               Even with all his resources, she stubbornly refused to be found. After eras of toying with him, the universe ought to have some compassion for him. 

_Apparently not._

               Walking in the bustling streets of Tokyo did nothing much to aid him, but he needed a break from it all.  The people around him had their own problems to worry about, and it gave him a sick sense of comfort knowing that he wasn’t the only one in the world suffering.

               The noise of the crowd was music to his ears untilhe saw a painfully familiar figure, looking as if though she had lost something.         

              It was automatic. He ran towards her immediately, not caring about the eyes that saw him. Suddenly, everything around him didn’t matter anymore. Time slowed down, the noise was muted, and the only thing he could see was _her_. 

               “ _You_ —you found me.” She had tears, but he knew they weren’t of sadness.

              “Of course, I did. I’ll always find you, no matter what happens. Just who do you think I am?” His arms wrapped around her tightly, afraid that she would disappear if he let go.

              The weight of the lifetimes past left him, and he finally felt at peace. 


End file.
